Cast Iron Hike

One of the things you will notice if you see Cast Iron Hike live is that they are as into it and as moved by the songs as everyone else in the audience. They play with complete abandon as if it‘s the last time they will ever play together. Often, the energy reaches such a frantic and chaotic state that you realize why you spend so much of your time in those loud, dark clubs. You hope to catch a glimpse of a band like this one.
For two years now, Cast Iron Hike have been opening for and commanding the attention of an array of killer bands like Snapcase, Texas is the Reason, Shades Apart, Sam Black Church and Orange 9mm. These bands have come away from shows eager to spread the Boston hardcore word of C.I.H., "This band rocks!"
Formed out of the ashes of hardcore band Backbone, it didn‘t take long for drummer Dave Green and guitarist Christian Pupecki to realize that they had the chemistry it took to make great music that was more than just hardcore riffs and speed changes. They made a promise to take hardcore to the next level. This was the goal. With the addition of guitarist Michael Gallager and bassist Peter Degraff, they were ready to expand on the musical experience. When they stumbled upon Jacob Brennan, the inexperienced but eager young vocalist, they knew the time was right.
Venturing into the studio for the first time, Cast Iron Hike recorded The Salmon Drive E.P. with Brian McTernan (Texas is the Reason, 108) and were happy with this first showcase of what was soon to come. With a sound reminiscent of Quicksand and the rest of the Boston hardcore sound they grew up with, the band soon took New England by storm. In 1996 they toured and played shows up and down the East Coast and in March they decided to do the same thing in the Midwest. Soon after, they secured their place in the hardcore underground by releasing a self titled 7" on Trustkill Records. The promise was beginning to take shape in reality. After another quick tour in support of the release, they found the first pressing of their 7" had sold out.
As Cast Iron Hike release their first full length album, Watch It Burn, on Victory Records, the promise of a new sound in hardcore is reaching fruition. They continue to play shows and turn heads. No muscle. No catch phrases. Just music, relentless and genuine . . . The kind that explodes in your ears and sends chills through your spine. It‘s the kind of music that takes a band and makes then your favorite.